Project 6029

Up to date information regarding the restoration of steam locomotive 6029 in Canberra, ACT Australia. Beyer Garratt 6029 is an EX NSWGR locomotive and was a member of the largest, and most powerful class in Australia. The restoration to full working order is being undertaken by volunteers in Canberra.

6029 is owned by the Australian Railway Historical Society, ACT Division and the restoration is proudly supported by their tourist operations and by the generous donations of members and public supporters.The society operates rail tours out of Canberra with our heritage fleet of steam and diesel locomotives and rolling stock every few weeks.To travel in style on any of our tours, or to learn more about our collection and operations, go to Canberrarailwaymuseum.org

Fundraising Appeal

We need your help to put 6029 back on the rails.

Even though we are back on the rails, there are still things we need to finish the restoration. Things like nuts, bolts and other sundry items that we buy almost every week keep the project moving but continue to cost.

If you can spare a few bucks, please help us finish the job by clicking on this button.

If money is tight, why not come down and get your hands dirty instead. There are things for everyone around the museum from woodwork to welding and everything inbetween.

Thanks to everyone who dug deep and donated more than $500. We are now working hard to get everyone their cabrides as fast as we can.

Feb 13, 2015

Some say that pictures tell a thousand words and indeed if you view the sequence of photographs this is very true. Unlike previous collections of photographs thisupdate includes many different aspects of volunteering life at the yard at present. It is varied as we are contributing not only 6029, but also 4403 and 3016 to the Thirlmere gathering. This means many varied and interesting jobs for us all.

Carriage maintenance and preparation is never to be forgotten and as the pictures attest, there is a lot going on in repairing and refurbishing the rolling stock.

Painting of the exterior after significant work of the roof of many of the carriages is happening all the time at a fearful pace and the results are very impressive to see. A fine tribute to the work the guys are putting in.

Cleaning and polishing and painting are some of the jobs we need to get 6029 looking slick but wait there’s more! Not only has the essential cosmetic and minor remediation being going on some very major and perhaps significantly more important work has been going on.

Piston rings – all of them have been received and fitted! That is 3 per piston by four and 2 sets of pairs for each valve. Ben has worked tirelessly to get these fitted and seated correctly. Ben has also been noted to swear a lot but he has again pulled a rabbit (or shim) out of his sleeve and aligned the slides for the crossheads on the rear engine. These were seriously out of alignment or wack as was described to the author.

Let’s not forget the new guards and covers on the steampipe that carries steam to the rear engine. These have been delivered for final measure and fit – thanks Jack

Some off site work has had to be done by a third party - one piece of hardware to receive such attention had been removed and sent to Sydney for building up and grinding back to working tolerance. This repair had been completed and our logistics manager – aka Malcolm – had once again volunteered his transport vehicle – read “Barina” – to transport said arm back to Canberra.

The arm connecting the reversing rod with the reach rod was received back from the workshop after this work had been completed. Essentially it was found that the wear and tear of many years had created so much play that when travelling around corners the front engine’s valve settings would change from the rear engine – not a good thing on a Garratt. All going well the repaired are would be placed back in the appropriate location (under the plates in front of the smoke box) on the following day.

The boys worked hard on Pot Belly Black painting (a change from Super Enamel Black – not) by cleaning the fire grate area and associated pipe work and smoke box. Many hands young and old contributed so a vast area and some 4 pots later all was covered in said paint. With the fresh paint and the judicious polishing of copper pipe work there was a need to step back and admire the work! Again well done guys, nice job done well.

Polishing of the brass work will never cease but preparation of the surface with fine grinding paste and elbow grease means that the lustre will last longer so again the team wire brushed and polished the numbers, the window frames and copper pipes.

Let’s not forget there has been lots of work going on in the shed as well. 3016 has received a enormous amount of work from Carl with redoing all boiler tubes by re-expanding the tubes into the tubeplate to seal each one (some say Carl set up house in the fire box as he spent more time in there than at home but thats not quite true). The rods have been removed so that the bearings could be properly inspected and those needing it were sent away for re-metalling. These have now been received and refitted. Ben has also been noted to be assisting in the work on 3016 as well, in particular the installation of ICE radio antennas etc.

Oh let’s not forget something – to get to the tube ends properly in 3016...guess what! The arch has to be removed, usually with a jack hammer. So that means a new one has to be built and using drawings from old and a calculator of new Mike has built a set of computer cut frames for the molds so that the arch can be poured in situ and repeated exactly the same next time we have to perform heavy maintenance in the firebox.

Combine the above work with a paint job of Pot Belly Black to the smoke box and you will have another fine engine travelling to Thirlmere.

Jan 15, 2015

The New Year has brought renewed vigor as we are challenged to identify, log and correct various items that the testing, load and training runs have identified before we consider ourselves (painted and polished) for the Thirlmere Festival of Steam late in February. So much to do and so little time!

There have been various people providing support, helping to tackle jobs since Christmas. This has included replacing the normal un-sprung bolts holding the rear tank on with new sprung bolts. This is not a simple process as a small jig is required to compress the spring and thus provide enough thread to start the nut on the end of the thread. Various clamps and other tools appeared from time to time as the day wore on.

The air compressor also had an issue recorded in our logs that was addressed. The crews had noticed a knock had developed and this had progressively become worse. So the lower head on the compressor as removed and as predicted by Ben, two valves were blocked preventing air passing into the second stage of the compressor, building up pressure in the low pressure cylinder and causing a knock in the high pressure cylinder due to the lack of air that normally acted as a cushion. The removal and replacement of the lower head was as always noted as being awkwardly positioned and darned heavy on the Garratt's!

Up the other end, the cab lighting has received some attention. Over the years, several of the original electrical fittings were either used on operational locos, or just broke due to age. Some new connectors have been made to replicate the originals and these have been fitted, along with the remainder of the instrument lights that were missing. There should be no issues now in tunnels and during night operations. Given that the new lights are LED based and able to be battery powered, light-ups and general maintenance at night will also be much more pleasant as well.

The front buffer beam has seen a major clean and paint job – again some readers may note as it has been painted many times before – red for the beam and regulation black for the remainder of the visible frame. The hind buffer beam and metal work was also cleaned and prepared for painting. The presentation of the locomotive is of major importance to us as we prepare for the Festival of Steam and the first public outing of the loco.

There were of course some minor mechanical problems to address as well. The piston rods were noted to be running low in their stuffing boxes where they enter the cylinders. Essentially, as explained to the novice author, the slide bars and shims out of position and have likely been like that since the 1960's or even longer. I just thought they were stuffed! To replace and align the rods for the immediate future required the removal of shims, careful and precise measurement and re-attachment. This task would be something you might ignore for a while, as clearly the loco has performed quite well during our shakedown runs, but as the new piston and valve rings have been ordered and are to be delivered within weeks, we need the pistons to be properly located sooner rather than later.

Readers may remember that the Garratt is heavy and therefore all components have a heaviness commensurate with its size. Add to this the fact that the design engineers did not always think beyond their own drawing boards, worked with slide rules and paper, not computers and modern drafting programs, and its not surprising that bolts cannot always come out unless another item is removed. Couple this with the problem of age, bolts that have not seen the light of day since they were first installed before many of us were born and we were in for a long day.

We should have realized we were in for a difficult and bruising day when even the split pins failed to come out after 10 mins of wrestling!. The slide bars are held to the frame by 8 bolts in total and all we wanted to do was simply add shims on one side and remove some from the other to return the cross-head to the proper position. The correct tools for the job have long since disappeared and we noted that four of the bolts were going to be a challenge. Cutting to the chase, and with a few choice words, the oxy was able to remove all bar one nut. Note that is nuts, not bolts!

The bolts are countersunk and sit just short of flush in the top slide bar. These were, and still are at the time of writing, not one of the author’s best friends. They remain firmly and solidly embedded in their location and do not want to come out. They are not nice bolts and will suffer for thier resistance! Removing these will be next week’s job.

Work will continue for a number of weeks at a feverish pace as there are many jobs and tasks that are interesting, educational and some would suggest fun to complete – brake block replacement, piston rings to install, new gaskets to replace leaking ones on the Cardew isolation valves and so forth, but other locos and rolling stock need our attention as well so its all hands on deck. there is stuff to do for people of all skill levels and most fitness levels, so escape the house and lend a hand if you can.

The Festival of Steam is the 28th of Feb - 1st of March and its going to be a great weekend. If you want to be on the train from Canberra to Thirlmere that will be Garratt hauled from Goulburn to Thirlmere on the 28th, secure your ticket today, not tomorrow as they are selling fast and there are limited seats... get them from CanberraRailwayMuseum.org.

Dec 23, 2014

It has been sometime since our last blog report and we have received many enquiries asking for an update. It may appear that not much is happening however this is most certainly not the case.

The last of the testing was competed in September and since then the engineering team has been hard at it completing the test data and repots to finalized compliance with regulation and network standards.

We are now very pleased to report that approval has been forwarded from the national rail regulator (ONRSR) advising that 6029 may now run. After almost 8 years of hard work we are now ready to go, and in some way we are now pinching ourselves... is this actually happening?

To get our overseas friends in the loop, summers in Australia can be extremely harsh and fires are a natural disaster that cannot be under-estimated. Our Christmas is celebrated around the BBQ, and the beach is where a lot of Australians spend their holidays.

The 6029 team won’t be having a break this year as we will spend January 2015 finishing of the list of small jobs to get 6029 roadworthy. We are asking for all available to help out during this time.

We can now announce that the first shakedown run will be on the 28th of Febuary 2015 from Goulburn to Thirlmere. We will be running to the annual festival of steam that by all accounts will be a big event. As this is in effect a running-in trial, available seats will be limited. Tickets will go on sale on the 8th of January from the Canberra Railway Museum ticket office. Visit http://canberrarailwaymuseum.org/ for details.

The purpose of the shakedown runs is to fine tune the locomotive and to iron out any bugs as they arise. We will then plan the first official run most likely at the end of March, dependent on how the weather is shaping up as we come out of summer.

We have penciled in Goulburn as the staging point to run on the main south and we will run a series of short shuttles in May. This will allow passengers to connect with the local services from Sydney.

Our first sleeping car tour will be on the June long weekend to Junee in Southern NSW. This part of NSW features main line operations including the Bethungra spiral. We will also feature local runs between Junee and Wagga Wagga.

I will close off by thanking everyone for their well wishes and support during the testing trails, the interest has been overwhelming.

We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year, that will no doubt be an exciting one for steam preservation.

Oct 12, 2014

What do you do to celebrate the 8th anniversary of the first workday on 6029? Well for those of the team that could make it, you take the company engine for a spin!

Last Saturday was 8 years to the day of the first workday of Project6029 and the start of an 8 year journey that saw us achieve something that many people said couldn't be done, restore Australia's largest steam locomotive to operational order,. Slim tells the story of the day...

We started at a reasonable hour by lighting the Garratt at around 8 am – a leisurely start in deed as we had no timetables to keep. Some cleaning was commenced on the front engine and it was soon recognized that with the length of this beast, it was going to mean we either had to start 24 hours earlier or get more help! The light up crew and assistants rapidly worked out that the target of a total clean and polish was going to have to be limited to a spotless cab and a light wash of the boiler and front tank.

The initial team were assisted later in the morning as others turned up but it quickly became apparent even to blind Freddie that if we are to turn out a spic and span locomotive that is a credit to the team and the society, that we need to very much work as a team, focused on delivery, stepping up and taking on those often dirty and often thankless tasks. They are actually fun – yes truthfully, fun!

As the loco had been pre warmed Friday afternoon, the lightup was fairly quick and the boiler started to “sing” about 9.30/10.00 after throwing what felt like all the sleepers from Canberra to Queanbeyan through the fire door. The fire became very hot initially and it shortest route to the atmosphere was via the fire door not the chimney so care and respect of the fire was the order of the morning.
Note to author/self ...do not put head in or near fire door when throwing in wood, with no blower operational before steam is raised, there is a tendency to ruin ones hair cut by burning off the outer layers!

Once she had reached the 50 PSI mark at about 10.30 it was surprising how quickly we doubled that and by 11 we could start planning and then moving around the yard shortly after. Our target.., move over to the platform road, couple up to 3016, move her out of the way and return to platform road and couple up to the short two car set that was waiting. What fun using the Garratt as a shunting engine. For the author a rather daunting shunting experience considering the size involved. With skilled driving, the shunt was achieved without incident.

The order of the day was for short runs up and back along the north shunt. This gave the present contingent of volunteers an opportunity to ride in cab, firing and driving. This locomotive is big, bigger still when you start throwing in wood and realize the fire grate is bigger than some bedrooms. Bigger still when you hold the throttle but biggest yet when you can actually feel all 250 tons accelerate – yes accelerate, this engine is powerful.

Visitors to the museum got a huge surprise to find that their presence at the museum would see them getting short trips up and down the north shunt behind a Garratt for nothing more than the entry fee to the museum, and given that the carriages were pretty much full of families and smiles all afternoon, its pretty easy to see that they enjoyed themselves as much as the volunteers.

The experience of firing and driving is perhaps what all had dreamed of – actually being in the cab after so many hours working in Canberra and man caves, each contributing what they could, there were some very large smiles. The help of Ben and Carl in guiding us through this never to be forgotten moment is appreciated. Regrettably, Alan had to leave early for a family holiday so he missed the smiles on many of the faces.

As usual there were lots of great photos happening care of Howard but he does stand out with the world’s biggest grin on one shot that probably says it all for us all. WOW!

Unfortunately being volunteers some of the team could not participate as they had family or similar commitments and hopefully they too will have a similar experience in the New Year. Speaking of which we need to prepare and fix all those minor things on the Garratt and start in earnest on carriage work that so badly need to be done, so the regular work days are in place - first Saturday and third Sunday... See you there!

Sep 5, 2014

For those that haven't already heard, Tuesday and Wednesday saw 6029 performing what we hope are the last of the testing completed which will allow us to submit the change notification paperwork which in turn will allow the network owners/regulators to get on with the process of approving the loco for regular service.

Tuesday saw the braking tests and detonator testing completed between Fyswick and Canberra and Wednesday saw the load test to Bungendore completed.

The load test was required to prove that there were no issues hauling a train over the grades that are to be encountered in service, and meant that we had to take a train, at slightly more than the maximum rated load to Bungendore and back to prove that the load was well within the locos capabilities. In this case we took several of our stainless sleeping cars, two diesels and a couple of power cars to make up a load of almost 600 tons. The maximum load for 6029 in railway service on the Canberra branch was 650 tons. In order to reduce wear and tear and reduce maintenance issues, a decision has been taken to reduce its maximum load by a small amount.

As the weather has been overcast and windy, lighting for pictures was less than favourable, however Howard does have some nice pictures for us, and Bevan's video is as usual, is very nice. An added bonus was a picture taken from a slightly unusual vantage point by Bevan's son, Ross... See if you can work out how he did it. I was told that the train went up the hill so fast that it was hard to get ahead and set up for the next photo, so that alone would suggest that there was no issue with the load.

There have been a lot of inquiries as to when we will be able to start hauling passengers. There is unfortunately, still no way for us to say when this will happen. With the tests completed, we are now in the hands of people whose job it is to sign off and issue us with the necessary approvals and paperwork. The time that this will take is an absolute unknown, and it has been known to take several months. It is now spring in Australia, and if the approvals were to take too long, we will be up against another problem, that of our summer and the fire bans that prevent us from using any steam locomotive for a period due to the risks of starting fires.

As soon as we know of any dates or information relating to when we can start running, it will be posted both here and on the museum's site, Canberrarailwaymuseum.org

Aug 18, 2014

6029 is now back in the shed having run the 200km round trip to Goulburn. The purpose of the run was to complete the necessary signal interface testing. Goulburn is controlled by signal circuits and it had to be proven that the locomotive can be seen on the track and that it activates the interface circuits. The good news is that the signals engineer was happy with the results and the testing will now move onto the next stage of the plan.

We stabled overnight in Goulburn workshops and it was a very cold start to say the least, at minus five degrees C. Getting out of a warm bed at 5 am was not a good start but the light up crew had to start even earlier. The reward was the start of the run at 8am with the exhaust steam putting on a spectacular sight as we left Goulburn on the way home.

The two day run was a succession of testing and gradually increasing the speed as each test parameter was proven. The last part of the run home was at full speed and we are happy that all went well. Having said that we still have a way to go but at this stage it’s a cautious thumbs up at this point.

We have received some criticism that we were not able to advertise in advance that we would be out on the network. We don’t apologies for this as the testing is a critical element of ensuring and demonstrating that all is well to network and industry standards. We have advertised on our web page that tickets will be on sale soon but we can’t pencil a firm date until the notification of change is completed including testing and network registration.

I have been asked "how do you guys seem to just get the job done with no fuss" both in terms of the rebuild and the roll out of operations. The fact is I am very fortunate to lead a team that is well qualified in engineering, training and operations. That’s not to say things won’t go wrong as they most certainly do and often when you least expect them. Having a team that can fix the issue whatever it might be is critical, but the key word is team.

So what's next? For me, it’s countless more hours in front of a computer completing all the required documentation. We have a full load adhesion load test planed on the Canberra branch in the next few weeks. Again this won’t be advertised and we would like to remind all to please observe the network rules of trespass.

The first runs will be on the Canberra branch and tickets will be available at http://canberrarailwaymuseum.org/ . If you are interested, regularly check our web page and this blog for details as they come to hand.

Our next workday is Saturday 6 September at the museum. Please keep an eye on the web page for advanced ticket sales and please support us by purchasing a ticket or several.

Aug 14, 2014

By now, some of you may have heard that the Garratt has made it as far as the mainline in Goulburn. ...Tuesday saw light engine Canberra-Queanbeyan and return with no issue and Wednesday was Canberra-Goulburn with the return trip to Canberra performed Thursday.

There were many aspects to the trial that I will let Alan explain in a future post, but we can be very happy that the Loco got there and back with very few issues, and none of them are major.

The primary purpose for travelling to Goulburn was to prove the locomotive was 100% compliant with track circuitry systems. A signaling engineer was on hand and along other officials from John Holland, performed testing both in Canberra yard as well as on the way to and at Goulburn.

Tunnel clearances were high on the list to be tested and were found to be greater than expected through the Pine range tunnels which is great news for us. Remember that the trials we are doing are no different to what a new loco must perform and pass before being granted permission to run on the network.

As we work through the testing programs laid out for us, we are incurring some rather large direct costs and as such, we are still very much open to donations. As an example, we used some three to four thousand dollars worth of coal on the return trip to Goulburn and that is just the start... This Loco will never be cheap to run and the sooner we have revenue earning trains behind us the better, but that can only happen once we have completed the testing program and have the approvals in place...Still a little way to go.

Aug 5, 2014

As with any restoration, the first few miles are often the most critical, and this is no different for us. On Friday, a week after the first moves around the yard, we had the first of several scheduled visits from the network inspectors to have a look at the loco and to demonstrate to them some important aspects of the loco and its performance. Howard, our master behind the lens was around as well and took the below images....

If you think it looks cold, it was... in some parts of Canberra it was snowing, but not in Kingston... Would have made for great images of it had. With a few miles now under the wheels, a list of small issues has been created and many have already been crossed off.

We have made it a very long way with this project, and for us, the ride is not yet over. Now as we start the testing that is required to satisfy both the regulations and our own internal procedures. We need to be satisfied that the loco is ready for service and need some time to train the crews that will operate the loco and the maintenance crews how to move from the restoration phases into the operational maintenance.

I know that you would all like to know when we will be out there hauling trains, and I wish we could tell you when that will be... Unfortunately, at this point we really don't know. There are so many tests that have to be completed and signed off, unfortunately, many of these tests are dependent on outside factors and the successful completion of prior tests. Keep a close eye on the blog and as soon as we know anything new, it will be posted here. In the meantime, there will still be updates and info on what is happening and I am sure, many more photos as well.

Jul 26, 2014

With just a little fanfare, and a huge amount of work by Alan, Ben and Sean along with many others in the last few weeks, 6029 moved under her own steam for the first time since the early 1980's on Friday the 25th.

The ABC News team were on hand and produced a news article that is certainly worth a look... Click here to have a look... There is a video clip there to watch as well.

Here are a few photos as well... It goes without saying, that the loco looks absolutely wonderful, just have a look at the gloss in the paint, and it will be improved on before long as well, as this current coat of paint is temporary, so you can imagine how good it will be...

More info of the day and extra photos will be posted very soon, there are a few having a very well earned rest to celebrate the day, they have earned it!

Jul 23, 2014

Last weekend was just another balmy winter’s day in Canberra – 4 degrees at sparrows, 7 by smoko and 10 at lunch and that was about as good as it got. The wind was lazy – it went straight through you rather than around and some genius had parked our beloved Garratt in the shed right by the door to create a fantastic venturi effect (those on the boiler course take note of the learning and ability to use new words recently learnt!). But this did not deter the hardy team members who fronted up.

The Cardew valves are automatic water release valves designed to prevent damage to the cylinders if water was to be carried over from the boiler and trapped in the cylinder while the loco is moving. The valves have been lovingly reconditioned by Ian and Glenn and now awaited refitting. They also had received a degree of polishing that the author is sad to say has raised the bar significantly in what has to be done to the rest of the bronze, brass and steel fittings around the engine.

Each valve (there being 8 in total) sits on a bracket that is a sense a spring. The spring looking something like a “C” on its side is bolted to the base of the bunker. This provides the ability for the valve to move and still remain attached to the pipe that is attached to the cylinders – in other words without the spring the pipe and fittings would be under stress whenever the frame and bunker move in different directions, which of course they do.

So 3 bolts/nuts each, one pipe per valve and two large nuts to clamp each pipe we were set the task. As is usual, trial and error produced the best way to mount these heavy valves. Each pipe’s tapered unions were both polished and cleaned, black Dixons required for sealing was applied and then tightened. The hard part was aligning the pipe to the valve and the fitting on the cylinder head. It took an hour for the first so things were not looking too good at smoko. The lads however had worked out the best way and by lunch 6 were on and 4 of those were tightened down. It was looking good for afternoon smoko, what could possibly go wrong? for a change, nothing! All 8 valves are now sitting on their brackets and tightened down. When hot steam for the testing comes along these will be tightened further.

While one team were busy on the Cardew valves, others were engaged on equally important tasks. New sand pipes needed bending and fitting and painting. More painting! The cab roof vent frame needed welding to complete their fitting – this required sanding and prep work before welding. It also called for lounging on the cab roof while holding a welding torch. As the roof is timber lined we could not run a full bead down the length of the slides so strategically placed welds and sealant will seal out most of the precipitation we may encounter.

In 1952 the mention of ICE radios in the steam world would have been looked upon by those in the cab as very alien. Ice would not have had any connection to a radio/location device and the use of a radio for a steam locomotive would not, most likely, have never even crossed anyone’s mind as being a tool of trade. 6029 had electricity in those halcyon days, but only for a few dim cab lights and the almost equally dim front and rear head lamps – the old steam turbine was both 32 volts AC and only capable of around 500 watts, or about 15 amps...

In this modern world with modern regulations and safety concerns, we need modern radios, lighting and more before we are able to hit the road, or in our case the track. The ICE radio needs a shade under 20 amps when transmitting, and if we had retained incandescent lighting around the loco, we would simply have trouble generating enough power.

With that in mind, modernization was the only path forward, and to that end, LED and HID lighting has been sourced and fitted along with control systems to allow control and monitoring of the systems from the cab. The modernization has allowed us to stay well under 500 watts during night operations, while having much more light available to us than ever before. The old wires and conduit on the loco were completely shot, and so to feed the new lamps front and back plus the associated paraphernalia we have rewired the entire machine.

Attentive readers may remember some mention of a large box being mounted to the coal bunker with wiring harness and other cables running through a feeder pipe. It was to house batteries, radios and other key elements of the electrical fit out. Well that idea looked and did become a functional nightmare so plan “C+” was hatched and put into place.

The batteries will now be housed in the original tool locker that sits at the rear of the bunker, just behind the coal space. A insert is has been prepared to hold the two batteries – they are not your average “D” sizes either, designed to allow greater than 4 hours of night time running without the turbo in operation, should it fail for some reason. The battery cables – two red and two black running from them were threaded down metal conduit that is now welded inside the lip of the tender. Safe from lumps of coal and muck. They then run down the feeder pipe and along with the antenna cables into the cab by bridging the gap between tender and cab. Of course these sections will all move in while the locomotive is in motion so flexible conduit is needed. So you can imagine the effort to thread all these cables and then decide how best to route them into the cab to join up with the circuit breakers, switches and assorted other things like radios and speakers. The ICE radio is now housed, and hidden, in its own box within the cab.

So if you notice extra bits and bobs hanging down, across or between frame sections, rest assured these are necessary items required now for safe working on the main lines... a lot of care has been taken to preserve the original fabric and appearance of the loco, and most will be hard pressed to see the modern fittings, except maybe in the cab where it has been unavoidable with the addition of the safe working equipment. Our 1950’s colleagues would definitely understand these new items and the challenge of where to locate them. Computers and radios are not good friends of steam, coal and water at the best of times, but times have changed and now they must learn to live with each other.

During the previous week other items have had to be attached if we are to run this locomotive on the main line – a speed measuring mechanism had to be fitted. This is a not negotiable and required addition. A new frame has been built and small crank operates off the driver’s side nearest main driving wheel. This in turn provides the rotational force to drive the speed register. This is well disguised and viewers will see an unpainted picture in the attached pictures – a credit to welding skills and metal work in general to create the frame and achieve alignment. It is a necessary evil and might be the most noticeable external addition...some may say it changes the lines of the locomotive but none the less, tight budgets and being a donation from interstate we have moved on.

Sundays cry was “To the pit to the pit” – 3016 had left on a trip to Bungendore and 6029 was moved out over the pit for the first time in a very long time. The encrusted muck and coal was so heavily caked on that hammer and cold chisel were the tools of the day. It was time to give the underside a once over and look for things that might be out of place and as we have done so much work on the loco over the last few years, without the aid of pits and sheds for much of it, it was time well spent. Brake rigging was inspected and in some areas cleaned along with a general once to check for and identify any loose or missing bolts. Its one of those jobs that you need to get dirty doing, and it wont be the last time either.

The locomotive is rapidly approaching inspection by the network officials and then it will begin its first trials and tests under very different rules from when it first left the factory and last ran for that matter. There will soon be the heavy beat and loud whistle of a locomotive that has not traveled under its own steam since the early 1980's, moving up and down Canberra to Queanbeyan line as we test, certify and retest and make ready for its full commissioning and return to passenger duties. Exciting isn't it? We think so!

How can you help 6029 get back on the rails?

This project is self funded, the workers are all volunteers, and we need your help.

Maybe you can come to Canberra on a work day and get your hands dirty, or you have a nice workshop at home and need a reason to spend more time in it.Maybe you can't make it to Canberra, but could do a little work in Sydney, if you think you have something to offer, contact us...even if you don't think you have anything to offer, but want to be involved in preserving a litlte piece of history, contact us and we will do our best to find something interesting and productive to suit you.

Even the simplest things can help...can you spare $5 or $10 a week? it's small change on its own, but if 20 people could donate $10 a week, that would be $800 a month that we don't have now, and every dollar will help us put this monster back on the rails for everyone to enjoy.

Coming Soon

We are gearing up for another raffle, and what a prize it will be... 6029 in "O" Gauge! The guys at modelokits.com have donated a wonderful kit of 6029 to raffle off. This is one of the first batch of their 60 class locos and looks great... At 7mm to the foot, its a big model, twice the size of HO locomotives.

As soon as we have more details we will let you know, in the meantime, check out the other stuff they have... The pictures show the assembled prototype, while the prize will be an un-assembled kit.

Now check out the video of it running and tell me you would sell your spouse to get one...

Related Links

Gold Supporters

Goodwin Alco are now Gold Supporters with the announcement that they will undertake the job of having new cladding manufactured and fitted to the boiler barrel.

Goodwin Alco have been supporting the project for some time both financially and with labor whenever they can.... Awesome stuff guys!

Bronze Supporters

Donate and help us get back on the rails

A project like this is not cheap, and we need to raise funds to pay for the materials and services required to put this locomotive back on the rails.

The projects workers donate their time, the costs of travel to Canberra, and often put their hand into their own pocket to buy tools and supplies, but we desperatly need donations to help fund the repairs.

If you can afford to donate a little money, we would be very grateful, and for donations over $2 we can offer you an official receipt to claim the donation on your tax return (if you are an Australian citizen).

Large donations can be acknowledged in the societies magazine and on the website, and recurring donations can be arranged easily, mail mike@project6029.com for more info.

We are using Paypal as one avenue for donations, you do not need to have a Paypal account to make a donation, just a credit card, and a few minutes to fill out your details.

Click on the button below to make a donation and help us complete the project

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The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only and in no way represents the views of the ARHS-ACT council or general membership The information is provided by volunteers of Project 6029 and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information contained herein. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

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